Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Heir apparent adept at lip service

So, the next big thing in the Congress visited Gujarat, criticized the Modi administration alleging that it worked "only for the rich" and assured jobless diamond workers of help from the centre -

Gandhi addressed nearly 900 jobless workers at SardarSmrutiBhavan in thediamond hub of Varachha where he invited jobless diamond workers tospeak about their problems and promised to take up their issues with theCentre. Emphasizing on 'aamaadmi' focus of his party, Gandhi asserted:"For us the common man comes first." [Link](Emphasis added)

So what happened to the promise?

Jobless for four months now, diamondpolisher PareshMorakhiya is now worried about his family's survival. Theinterim budget was his last hope, but there was nothing instore for him and thousands like him. [Link](Emphasis added)

The Interim Budget has left disappointedseveral thousand diamond workers, who either have been laid off or on the vergeof losing their jobs in Surat's diamond industry. [Link]

Nothing came of it. Rahul was merely continuing the same grand Congress tradition of all talk and no action. It also speaks volumes of his influence in his own party. But that did not stop him from promising anything. It is also an indication of the vindictive approach towards the BJP in general and Modi in particular by the Congress. Modi has been seeking help from the centre to help out the diamond industry in the state, yet the interim budget had nothing for it. And Rahul is being sold by the media as the panacea to all our problems, the only one who can take us forward!

In his token criticism of the TataNano project, Rahul failed to realise that it will help generate thousands of jobs, directly and indirectly for the people. So, it is the same 'aamaadmi' that will benefit who Rahul fears will be left out.

So while his party at the centre couldn't care less for the diamond workers, some of them are beating adversity by going back to farming -

Hit by recession, thousands of displaceddiamond workers in Gujarat are returning home to rediscover their farming roots.And the cash crops they are growing in a matter of months is bringing somesparkle back to their lives.

"When the diamond industry flourishedI earned about Rs.60,000 per year. Now I expect to earn Rs.1.6 million afterharvesting nearly 800 mounds of cumin seed," said RajeshDabhi of Sangasar inAhmedabad district. [Link]

Availability of electricity, irrigation projects and check dams seem to have done the trick. The Congress certainly did nothing for agriculture. Does Rahul have any ideas for turning adversities into opportunities?